There has been significant movement in the Real Madrid camp this summer.
The club have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Mariano Diaz, Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio so far, gaining the likes of Jude Bellingham, Joselu and Fran Garcia in the process.
However, there is a fundamental difference between the two transactions. The arrivals have cost the club close to €110 million in transfer fees while all four departures went through as free transfers. The discrepancy is worrying.
According to reports from AS, Real Madrid are looking to rectify the deficit to the best of their capacity. Of the players in the squad, Ferland Mendy is seen as the best placed to depart.
The club are anticipating a big offer from Saudi Arabia for the French left-back and would not hesitate to sell him given his recent displays. However, this is just yet another case of Carlo Ancelotti and the club adminstration failing to see eye to eye.
After suffering a dire lack of options at left-back last season, the Italian manager wishes to keep Mendy in his dynamics for the upcoming season. Fran Garcia will be the first-choice starter, but the Frenchman would act as a quality replacement.
The club, however, see the player as a saleable asset and hopes to recoup as much of the €50 million spent on his signing as possible. Mendy’s market value stands at €25 million, and the offer from the Middle East could reach that figure.
Given that Los Blancos prioritise Alphonso Davies’ arrival this summer or the next, Mendy’s prominence will only stoop lower in the seasons to come. His contract runs out in 2025, and this could be Real Madrid’s final chance to sell him for a high fee.